There is widespread desire to undergo personal behavioral modifications, though adopting lasting modifications can be extremely challenging. One common personal behavioral change sought by many is weight loss. Numerous traditional methods, such as books and videos, provide diet regimens and exercise routines to provide assistance for weight loss. However, such traditional methods are often ineffective due to the lack of emphasis on motivation and accountability. Other traditional methods for weight loss include joining exercise and nutrition classes or hiring a personal trainer. These methods can be expensive, time-consuming, and incompatible with a busy schedule.
Today, Internet-based services are widespread and ubiquitous, including weight loss services. Typically, Internet-based weight loss services are similar to traditional methods by merely disseminating diet and/or exercise guidance through expert advice, articles, and tips. The programs are largely impersonal and lack the key motivational ingredient to affect lasting personal behavioral changes. WeightWatchers.com and Traineo.com are websites dedicated to weight loss. Traineo.com allows its users to track their progress and send emails to others associated with the network to observe the users' progress.
Social networking websites, such as Facebook.com, MySpace.com, and Friendster.com, offer online communities where a user can find and maintain friendships. A user of an online social network is commonly able to post text, display pictures, send and receive messages from other members of the network, and join common interest groups. To become a member of an online social network community, the websites generally require registration. In other words, only registered or affiliated members of a social network can participate in the network.
Social networking websites require users to create descriptions of themselves by filling out many forms about the personality traits and interests of the users. The requirement of submitting tedious responses may turn off potential users. A user can use the descriptions to find other users with commonalities, though oftentimes this does not occur; a user description on a social networking site may inaccurately describe a user because the user can mistakenly or intentionally submit misleading information. A user often creates a description of an idealized person the user desires to be instead of a description representing the user's real traits and personalities. Methods to obtain accurate personality traits, preferences, motivations, and interests are desired.
Affecting lasting personal behavioral change requires persistence and motivation. A person seeking to undergo personal behavioral change generally requires accountability and motivation. For people with busy schedules or who travel frequently, the sources of motivation are difficult or impossible to access. These times of inaccessibility can be detrimental to the person's overall behavioral change goals.
The present invention addresses the difficult problem of affecting personal behavior and advances the art with a social network for affecting personal behavior.